Parents

Iron and Your Child

Red blood cells deliver oxygen to the body's tissues and organs. Every red blood cell in the body contains iron in its hemoglobin, the part of the red blood cell that carries oxygen from the lungs to the body. Iron gives hemoglobin the strength to "carry" (bind to) oxygen in the blood, so oxygen gets to where it needs to go.

Without enough iron, the body can't make hemoglobin and makes fewer red blood cells. This means tissues and organs won't get the oxygen they need.

People can get iron by eating foods like meat and dark green leafy vegetables. Iron is also added to some foods, such as infant formula and cereals.

How Much Iron Do Kids Need?

Depending on their age, kids need different amounts of iron:

Infants who breastfeed tend to get enough iron from their mothers until 4-6 months of age. Around this time, rich foods like fortified cereal and puréed meats are usually introduced. Breastfed babies who don't get enough iron should be given iron drops prescribed by their doctor. Babies given iron-fortified formula do not need additional iron.

Adolescent boys should be getting 11 milligrams of iron a day and adolescent girls should be getting 15 milligrams. (Adolescence is a time of rapid growth and teen girls need additional iron to replace what they lose monthly when they begin menstruating.)

Young athletes who regularly engage in intense exercise tend to lose more iron and may need extra iron in their diets. People following a vegetarian diet might also need additional iron.

What's Iron Deficiency?

Iron deficiency is when a person's body doesn't have enough iron. It can be a problem for some kids, particularly toddlers and teens (especially girls who have very heavy periods). In fact, many teenage girls are at risk for iron deficiency — even if they have normal periods — if their diets don't contain enough iron to offset the loss of blood during menstruation.

After 12 months of age, toddlers are at risk for iron deficiency because they no longer drink iron-fortified formula — and, they may not be eating enough iron-containing foods to make up the difference.

Iron deficiency can affect growth and may lead to learning and behavioral problems. If iron deficiency isn't corrected, it can lead to iron-deficiency anemia (a decrease in the number of red blood cells in the body).